


Cat Burglar

by nepenthe_writer



Series: Meet Ugly [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Breaking and Entering, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25091365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nepenthe_writer/pseuds/nepenthe_writer
Summary: When Bucky's cat sneaks into his neighbor's apartment, what choice does Bucky have but to break in to get his cat back? Hopefully he can manage it before his neighbor gets home. That's shouldn't be a problem right?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Meet Ugly [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1603822
Comments: 10
Kudos: 200





	Cat Burglar

Bucky jiggled the keys in the lock of his apartment door. Pulling up and to the left so that the latch would actually release and let him into his home. Not an easy feat with only one arm. The building was old and plenty of things stuck just like the lock and the landlord wouldn’t do anything about them because they weren’t technically broken. Bucky wanted to move to somewhere better but there was no way that he could find a place with the same rent that he was paying right now. He guessed that you did get what you paid for but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Finally getting the door open, Bucky dropped his keys into the decorative bowl beside the front door and closed it quickly behind him. It wouldn’t be the first time that his cat had tried to make a run for it through an open door and he just didn’t have the energy to go chasing after her today.

“Alpine,” Bucky called out, clicking his tongue a few times. “Daddy’s home. Where are you sweetheart?”

Steve had insisted that Bucky get himself some kind of pet after he got medically discharged from the army. His best friend had been worried that Bucky was slipping into a depressive state and had thought that having something to take care of, something that depended on him to survive, would keep Bucky from doing anything stupid. Steve hadn’t exactly been wrong but it had taken Bucky a little while, and some discussions with his therapist, to be willing to see that.

At first Bucky had been against the idea just from being told what to do. He already had plenty of doctors trying to give him orders on how best to recover from losing his arm, he didn’t need his best friend joining in as well. Then Bucky had hesitated on getting a pet because he wasn’t sure that he _could_ manage to take care of something else when he was barely holding himself together. There was too great a chance that he was going to screw something up and then a perfectly innocent animal was going to pay the price for his ineptitude.

Eventually Steve’s stubbornness had won out in the end. That and the quiet of his apartment was beginning to mess with Bucky’s head and he was forced to admit that having something to come home to after his medical appointments might make things just a little bit easier. With that in mind Bucky found himself and Steve going down to the shelter to pick out a pet for him to adopt.

Steve had been of the opinion that Bucky should pick out a dog. One that was loyal and gave those big puppy eyes that would cause anyone around them to just melt. As far as Steve was concerned there was no better companion animal than a good, old fashioned dog.

Bucky hadn’t cared one way or the other at first. A pet to take care of was a pet to take care of and that was the point of the whole trip. What did it matter to him if he adopted a dog or any other type of animal? It’s not like it was specifically trained as a therapy dog despite what Steve said they could do so Bucky couldn’t see the difference that it made. He figured he’d probably get one anyway because it would make Steve happy and he didn’t much care one way or the other. That was, until they were walking past the various cat cages on their way back to take a look at the dogs and one of the cats had just stood out to him.

A fluffy, white cat with a glare that was a clear fuck off look if Bucky had ever seen one, hissed at the group through the bars of its cage. It was clear that the small animal had a big personality and wouldn’t take crap from anyone that adopted her. Halting in his steps, Bucky turned to give the cat his attention only to earn a swipe of a paw. In an instant Bucky knew that she was just what he needed. Maybe some of that attitude would rub off on him.

The shelter volunteer and Steve had both tried to talk him out of adopting the cat. The cat, Alpine, was a rescued stray from the streets and didn’t get along with most people according to the shelter worker. The cat had scratched more than one potential new owner as was evidenced by the paw reaching out of the cage.

Steve still had his heart set on Bucky getting a dog that had the potential to be trained as a therapy dog to help Bucky transition back into civilian life and deal with his injury. He didn’t want to give up on that idea so easily with his best friend’s wellbeing on the line.

None of that mattered to Bucky though. If he was someone that believed in love at first sight then he would say that the white ball of menace had captured his heart the moment his eyes landed on her and her claws had scratched out at him. There would be nothing that would change his mind from bringing her home with him. With Bucky’s mind set, the shelter worker got the paperwork going and half an hour later Bucky was walking home with a cat carrier in hand.

That had been a little over a year ago now and Bucky had to say he was so grateful to Steve for talking him into getting a pet. Alpine was one of the best things that had ever happened to him and that little bundle of spit and fire had him wrapped around her little claw.

There had been a few rough patches right after bringing Alpine home and more than one pair of slippers lost to her sharp claws. The legs of Bucky’s couch still bore the marks of their lost battle to her scratching. Gradually though the two of them bonded over chin scratches, naps in the sun, and more than a few well earned treats. Sardines were her favorite and Bucky was more than generous in giving them after Alpine had spent the night curled up in his lap purring up a storm as Bucky worked to calm down from a nightmare.

In fact, after taking her home from the shelter Bucky’s nightmares and dissociative episodes had gradually decreased. He could now sometimes go a whole week at a time without his time in the military haunting him. His therapist was very happy with the progress that he was making. Steve himself couldn’t keep the smug grin off his face whenever he’d video chat with Bucky to find Alpine curled around his neck like Bucky’s shoulders were the most comfortable bed in the world.

The only thing about his pet that Bucky was concerned about was Alpine’s insistence on trying to escape the apartment and go on adventures. Having been a stray when she was brought into the shelter, Bucky was sure that she would be able to survive being out on her own. It was just that surviving wasn’t a way to live. He knew that from personal experience. He would also miss her terribly if she ever got out and he wasn’t able to find her again. She had helped him so much since he’d had her that he didn’t know what he would do if he ever lost her.

That was why Bucky was so careful every time he came into his apartment or tried to leave. Twisting in between his ankles was one of Alpine’s favorite tactics to try and get free and the sneaky little minx had almost managed it on more than one occasion.

Today however there was no insistent meowing at his feet as Bucky kicked the door closed behind himself. In fact, there was no sign of his cat at all. True Alpine liked to make it clear from time to time that she didn’t want to be bothered but she had never not greeted Bucky when he came home before.

“Alpine,” Bucky called out into his apartment again. “Where are you sweetheart?”

Frowning to himself, Bucky tried to imagine where his cat might have found to hole herself up in. The cat tree in the corner of his living room was empty of said cat and the door to his bedroom was closed hiding the mess in there from any surprise visitors. Slowly Bucky’s eyes landed on the sliding glass door that led out to his small balcony and saw the curtain next to it fluttering just slightly.

A sigh of relief came unbidden to the man as he prowled closer to where his cat was hiding. There were times when Alpine got it in her head to stalk her owner like prey and jump out at him as though he were a little mouse to pounce on. It was funny when she did that to Sam when he came over. Bucky on the other hand wasn’t as much of a fan when it was done to himself and couldn’t stop the feeling of glee bubbling up inside of him at the chance to turn the tables on his precocious pet.

Grabbing hold of the edge of the curtain, Bucky yanked it back in one quick movement intending to see Alpine’s startled expression at the reversal of her fortunes. Instead of seeing his cat though, all that met Bucky’s eyes was a cracked open door to the balcony with just enough space for a determined cat to wriggle through.

Dropping the curtain, Bucky lunged for the door, ripping it all the way open and hurling himself out onto his balcony. His heart was in his throat as his eyes wildly searched for any sign of his now missing cat. Alpine loved sunbathing out on the balcony but Bucky always brought her back inside before leaving the apartment. He had thought he had closed the outside door before leaving but the door must not have latched shut all the way. Damn old apartment building with locks that never seemed to work right.

The balcony wasn’t big and it only took Bucky a moment to see that Alpine was nowhere to be found on it. Bending himself over the edge of the railing, Bucky looked down the three stories between his apartment and the ground to try and see if Alpine had fallen and was laying hurt in the dirt. Seeing nothing down belong Bucky’s fingers tightened around the railing until his knuckles began to turn white as he tried to fight back the tears of frustration and helplessness that he could feel threatening. He had come to depend on Alpine far more than he had ever thought he would before he had gotten the cat and he couldn’t stand the thought of losing her like this.

Just as Bucky was about to head back inside and call Steve to come over and console him over the loss of his cat, a flash of movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. In the window of his neighbor’s balcony Bucky watched in mute horror as a streak of white cat went by the glass followed immediately by the crashing of a plant onto the floor spilling leaves and dirt everywhere.

“Fuck,” Bucky hissed to himself as he watched helplessly as his cat ran off into his neighbor’s apartment like she had every right to it.

Sprinting out of his apartment Bucky didn’t even bother to close the door behind himself before running the few feet down the hallway until he was outside the apartment right next to his own. It took everything in Bucky to keep himself to just frantic knocking instead of all out pounding on the door to get the attention of whoever lived there.

After almost thirty seconds straight of knocking on the door and hearing absolutely no movement from inside, Bucky could only conclude that his neighbor wasn’t home at the moment. Bucky worried at his lower lip as he thought over what his next steps should be to take. He could go back to his apartment and stake out the balcony so that he would know if Alpine tried to leave and come home. At the same time he would wait for his neighbor to get home and ask for help retrieving his cat if she didn’t leave on her own while apologizing profusely for letting her get out in the first place.

On the other hand, Bucky had no way of knowing when his neighbor would even get home. Would it be a few hours or were they taking a trip and wouldn’t be back for a few days? Bucky shuddered to think at the damage that his cat could cause in even just a few minutes of being left unsupervised in an unknown setting. The knocked over plant was merely one example of what could go wrong.

The thought of the disaster and damage that his neighbor could come home to all because of Bucky’s cat was the deciding factor for the man. Returning to his own apartment, Bucky headed back out onto the balcony and eyed the empty space between his and his neighbor’s balconies. They were close enough that Alpine had obviously been able to make the jump so there should be no problem with Bucky managing the same feat.

Climbing over the railing, Bucky braced himself and jumped across the open space, grabbing onto the opposite railing with his one hand. The jump wasn’t hard but it hadn’t been exactly easy either and Bucky didn’t even want to think about how he was going to manage getting back again once he had retrieved Alpine. That was a problem to deal with later. Right now he already had his hands full with the current issue of trying to wrangle up his cat before she could break anything else that he would have to be responsible for.

“Alpine,” Bucky hissed as he crept inside and looked around the unfamiliar apartment trying to spot his escaped cat. “Alpine come here now. You can’t just go into someone else’s home. We need to get out of here before someone comes home and catches us.”

Frantically Bucky searched anywhere he could think of that Alpine might be hiding from him. He was careful to try not to disturb anything that the apartment owner had out. He paid a small thought to trying to pick up and clean up the knocked over plant before he left. If luck was on his side then he would be able to find his cat and get out of here without anyone knowing he had ever been here. Then again, if luck had been on his side then he wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.

Just as he was about to move on and search another room Bucky saw a shadow flicker underneath a corner chair. Striding over Bucky dropped down to his hand and knees and peaked underneath to see what had been moving. Under the chair Alpine was batting at a few stray threads that were hanging from the bottom of the chair cushion. Her tail flicked from side to side causing the shadow that had drawn Bucky’s attention.

“Alpine,” Bucky hissed again trying to catch his pet’s attention. “Come out from under there now!”

Completely ignoring him, Alpine continued to bat at the string, uncaring at the predicament she was causing for her owner. Growling to himself Bucky tried to maneuver so that he could reach his cat. This was hampered by the lack of a second arm. With only one arm he had to choose between holding his face off the floor and reaching out to take hold of his cat. There was nothing else for it though and Bucky proceeded to smoosh his face into the carpet and snaked out his hand in a viper fast motion, grabbing onto the scruff on the back of Alpine’s neck and pulling her out from under the chair.

Alpine didn’t care for the abrupt end to her fun and yowled loudly in protest as she was tugged onto Bucky’s lap.

“Don’t give me that,” Bucky scolded, keeping a firm hold of the wriggling cat. “This whole thing is your fault to begin with. You shouldn’t even be in here. You’re supposed to stay in my apartment, not go breaking into someone else’s home. Now we’ve got to get out of here before they get back.”

The words had no sooner left Bucky’s lips when the sound of the front door to the apartment opening made Bucky’s head whip up to meet the startled gaze of his neighbor. Standing in the doorway was the most attractive man that Bucky had ever set his eyes on. From the soft looking hair that Bucky wanted to run his fingers through, to the wide brown eyes that were trying to understand what they were seeing, to the lips that were slightly parted in shock that Bucky wouldn’t mind getting a taste of, there was nothing about this man that didn’t say come hither to the former soldier.

Bucky was now kicking himself that he hadn’t taken the time to get to know his neighbor and was only meeting this man under less than ideal circumstances. When Alpine scratched at his wrist to try and get free again, Bucky was brought abruptly back to exactly what the circumstances were and how bad it looked for him in that moment.

“Um, I promise I’m not a burglar,” Bucky hurried to assure the man that had yet to fully step into his own apartment. “My cat got from my balcony to yours and made her way in here and I was trying to get her back before she destroyed any more of your apartment besides your plant. I was hoping to be gone before you got home.”

Bucky held up the squirming cat as though Alpine would confirm his story which only seemed to agitate the feline even more. Another yowl issued from Alpine causing Bucky to bring her back to his lap to try and soothe her. It might have been all her fault that they were both in this situation to begin with but that didn’t mean that he liked seeing her upset like this.

That small action was enough to break the other man out of his stunned stupor and he stepped further into his own apartment, closing the door behind him.

“So do you always use your cat as an excuse to break into someone’s apartment in order to meet your neighbors or am just special?” the man asked, throwing Bucky a cocky smile.

The lack of yelling and accusations caught Bucky off guard but he recovered quickly and gave a dashing smile of his own in return. It had been a while since he had felt like flirting with anyone but this handsome man was as good of a place to take up that habit again as anyone else. “Naw Sugar, just the cute ones.”

The other man threw his head back and laughed. “I’m Tony,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you even if this isn’t how most people would have gone about introducing themselves.”

Bucky just shrugged his shoulder and stood up, making sure to keep Alpine firmly cradled in his arm as he did. “Name’s Bucky. In my defense I did try knocking on the door before turning to breaking and entering. You just weren’t home so I had to improvise.”

Tony chuckled again at that. Bucky could feel a curl of warmth settle in his stomach listening to that sound. It was a sound he wouldn’t mind hearing again and again if Tony wasn’t too put off by the way that their first meeting was going. Given the fact that Tony wasn’t shouting or calling the police, Bucky’d have to say things were going far better than he could have possibly hoped for.

“Well I’ll have to make sure that isn’t the case the next time you feel like coming over,” Tony said.

“Next time?” Bucky asked, wanting to be sure that they were both on the same page. 

Tony shrugged one shoulder and smirked. “Sure. I’d say around seven tonight if you’re free. You can even use the front door instead of the balcony if you want.”

It was Bucky’s turn to laugh. Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever thought that breaking into someone else’s apartment to chase after his escaped cat would ever result in a date. When he had originally agreed to adopt a pet he was just doing it to appease Steve and his therapist. Now he had a cat that he adored to pieces and a date with his hot neighbor. Things were definitely looking up for him.


End file.
